LSP’s Amy Bacigalupo talks about why the organization is diving deep into helping communities build food systems that can stem the tide of commodities (and wealth) leaving the land. More Information: • LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems Web Page • Ear to the Ground No. 283: Ken Meter draws on decades of community analyses to explain why… Read More →
A journey into southeastern Minnesota’s geological basement reveals that building soil health can help make “clear” and “clean” equal the same thing. More Information: LSP’s Soil Health web page Minnesota Conservation Volunteer article: “The Farmer Who Went Underground” In July 2022, Aaron Bishop shot this video of flooding in Niagara Cave shortly after a rainstorm. Ear… Read More →
A farmer, a soil conservationist, and a crops specialist talk about how the roller crimper system can help extend the benefits of a cover crop. More Information • Video of roller crimper being used on Jovaag farm • OGRAIN fact sheets and videos on roller crimping • Ear to the Ground Podcast Episode 257: The House… Read More →
Rachel Henderson and Anton Ptak’s secondary enterprise could be a boon for farm country pollinators. (In 2010, Henderson and Ptak were featured on Ear to the Ground soon after they launched their orchard enterprise. Check out episode 78 here.) More information: • LSP’s Farm Beginnings Course • LSP’s Journeyperson Course • LSP’s Grazing & Soil Health web… Read More →
Farmer Tom Frantzen talks about hybrid rye, ecological resiliency, and why being uncomfortable isn’t always a bad thing. • To read the Civil Eats article on hybrid rye — “Hybrid Rye is Helping Farmers Fight ‘Superweeds’ Without Herbicide” — click here. • To read the Land Stewardship Letter article on hybrid rye — “A Grain… Read More →
Livestock producer Eric Klein of Hidden Stream Farm describes why and how his family launched its own meat processing business. It’s been a financial and logistical challenge, but a few years down the road it’s already producing benefits for their farm as well as the local community. If you’re thinking of getting into small-scale meat… Read More →
Beginning dairy farmer Carrie Redden talks about how she sees successful land stewardship and successful farming as deeply intertwined, and why more non-farmers need to make that connection as well. Carrie Redden was interviewed as part of the We Are Water initiative, which documented the stories of several farmers in the upper reaches of the… Read More →
Josh Bryceson sees The Good Acre food hub as a way to not only build markets for local vegetable producers, but to germinate the next generation of farmers (2 of 2 parts). More Information • The Good Acre Food Hub • LSP’s Community-Based Food Systems Program • Ear to the Ground 399: Asking Why You can… Read More →
A decade ago, veggie and livestock farmers Josh Bryceson and Rama Hoffpauir realized sweat equity would only take them so far in their ag journey, so they looked up from the grindstone long enough to take in the big picture (1 of 2 parts). More Information • Turnip Rock Farm & Cosmic Wheel Creamery • LSP’s Farm… Read More →
Farmers Focus on Local Markets (1/31/26) The Tri-State Neighbor reports on a meeting in Rochester, Minn., where farmers and others gathered to discuss practical ways of diversifying the corn-soybean duo-culture that dominates Midwestern agriculture. Highlights: The “Beyond Exports” meeting, which was hosted by LSP, featured farmer-presenters who are in various stages of utilizing small grains,… Read More →
